“China Also Has to Win”: A Discussion with Yun Sun on One Belt, One Road in Africa
In an interview with the Africa Center, China expert Yun Sun offers a look at Beijing’s engagement with Africa and African governments’ evolving expectations of their relationship.
Frontlines in Flux in Battle against African Militant Islamist Groups
A surge of attacks in the Sahel coupled with declines in activity by Boko Haram, ISIS, and al Shabaab reflect the constantly shifting threats posed by militant Islamist groups in Africa.
Assessing Attitudes of the Next Generation of African Security Sector Professionals
This study, involving 742 African security sector professionals from 37 countries, assesses differences in the attitudes, motivations, and values of the emerging generation of African security sector professionals.
Expert Publication
Recommended US Response to Russian Activities in Africa
Russia has significantly expanded its engagements in Africa in recent years in response to perceived opportunities to access natural resources, expand weapons sales, and elevate its geopolitical posture. The United States can draw a distinction with Russia’s destabilizing role by pursuing a positive engagement strategy in Africa.
Exploiting Borders in the Sahel: The Islamic State in the Greater Sahara
The Islamic State in the Greater Sahara has pursued breadth rather than depth of engagement in its rapid rise along the Mali, Niger, and Burkina Faso borders.
Topic in Focus: Counter Narcotics
East and southern Africa have become main transit routes for the heroin and cocaine trade from Afghanistan toward Europe. This became possible due to the growing entanglement of criminal networks and political systems in the region. The drug market–protected by political elites– has created a growing consumer base in these countries as well, with which public health services are poorly equipped to address. A regional move toward political financial transparency and support for law enforcement is necessary.
Heroin, cocaine, and cannabis are involved in the majority of drug-trafficking cases reported on in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda. As they are also often intercepted at ports of entry, heroin and cocaine present regional threats to national security. Nevertheless the media focuses mostly on cannabis crimes. Considering heroin and cocaine trafficking are financing armed groups and violent extremists, and are negatively affecting political financing, public health, and local communities’ resilience, the media needs political and technical support to learn and report more on the threats of heroin and cocaine.